Results tagged ‘ Denard Span ’

As Washington carries a four-game winning streak into tonight’s game in New York, two Nationals enter with notable streaks of their own. Denard Span’s third-inning double Tuesday night extended his hitting streak to 21 games. Not only is that both the longest run of his career and the longest by a National this season, it is also the second-longest in all of the Major Leagues this year, trailing only Michael Cuddyer’s 27-gamer.

Meanwhile, Wilson Ramos makes his 19th consecutive start tonight, a longer stretch than any catcher in Nationals history. After tonight, he will be just three games shy of tying Yadier Molina’s 22-game mark for the longest in baseball this year.

NATIONALS LINEUP:

1. Denard Span CF

2. Ryan Zimmerman 3B

3. Jayson Werth RF

4. Bryce Harper LF

5. Ian Desmond SS

6. Adam LaRoche 1B

7. Wilson Ramos C

8. Anthony Rendon 2B

9. Dan Haren RHP

A WERTHY LEADING MAN

Jayson Werth homered and doubled twice in four at-bats on Tuesday, raising his batting average to .328 on the season. He currently ranks third in the National League batting race, trailing only Michael Cuddyer (.330), and Chris Johnson (.330). Werth leads the NL in OPS (.949) and slugging percentage (.548), and is fourth in on-base percentage (.401).

OH, TO BE 17 AGAIN

Jordan Zimmermann allowed three earned runs in 5.0+ innings of work, but left with the lead and recorded his National League-leading 17th win of the season. It was the first time in five tries that he beat the Mets in 2013, against whom he finishes just 1-3. In contrast, Zimmermann is 16-5 against the rest of the league.

BEAT THE METS

With two games remaining, Washington has already clinched the season series with the Mets, as the Nationals lead, 10 games to seven. Five lineup fixtures are batting better than .300 against New York, including Ian Desmond (.317), Bryce Harper (.303), Denard Span (.348), Jayson Werth (.333) and Ryan Zimmerman (.333).

On any other night, a shutout backed by five home runs in a 9-0 whitewashing of an opponent would be cause for celebration in any clubhouse. But on Monday night in Flushing, Gio Gonzalez was left wondering what might have been, if only for a couple of measly inches.

After walking Daniel Murphy, the second batter of the game, Gonzalez settled into a groove against the Mets, going on to set down the next 17 men he faced. Meanwhile, the offense continued to pile up runs behind him, as five different Washington hitters went deep, just one home run shy of the club record. By the time he took the mound after the seventh-inning stretch at Citi Field, Gonzalez had a nine-run advantage and just nine outs left to record the first no-hitter in Nationals history.

The Mets had double-switched Murphy – arguably their best hitter, and certainly the one who had done the most damage to the Nationals, batting at a .385 clip (25-for-65) with seven extra-base hits against Washington – out of the game. That left it to pinch-hitter Zach Lutz, who entered the game with all of 11 Major League plate appearances this year and 22 in his career.

Lutz slapped at a first-pitch fastball and hit a soft liner to the right side, just over the first base bag. Adam LaRoche went into an all-out dive, but came up just short of snagging the ball on the fly. As it escaped his grasp, it bounced on the chalk line, then skipped up the right field line, dashing Gonzalez’s hopes for history. The southpaw hardly let it affect the rest of his performance, though, walking just one more batter en route to his second career shutout and the low-hit game of his professional career.

“It’s fun to be a part of something like that,” said Ryan Zimmerman, who homered in the first inning for his fourth roundtripper in the last three games. “It makes you want to make a play. Everyone wants to be a part of history.”

As for Gonzalez, what was his first thought when he saw Lutz’s liner escape LaRoche’s reach?

“Foul,” he joked, but later took the greater context in perspective. “It’s a bittersweet moment. You’re happy you got the win. The team did great, everybody looked alive today. It’s just a sad moment when you lose a no-hitter down the line.”

NATIONALS LINEUP:

1. Denard Span CF

2. Ryan Zimmerman 3B

3. Jayson Werth RF

4. Ian Desmond SS

5. Adam LaRoche 1B

6. Wilson Ramos C

7. Tyler Moore LF

8. Steve Lombardozzi 2B

9. Jordan Zimmermann RHP

THE KING OF QUEENS

Gio Gonzalez allowed just one hit and two walks while striking out eight in his first shutout of the season and second of his career. Gonzalez joins Ramon Ortiz, Jason Bergmann, and Scott Olsen as the fourth pitcher in Nationals history (‘05-present) to take a no-hitter into the seventh inning. The shutout was the 10th by a Nationals pitcher since 2005 and just the second one-hit shutout in Nationals history, along with Jordan Zimmermann’s gem over the Reds on April 26 this season.

BIG (FLY) 5

The Nationals tied a 2013 single-game high by clubbing five home runs, including back-to-back shots by Denard Span and Ryan Zimmerman to lead off the game. The Washington club record for one game is six, last matched in back-to-back contests September 4-5, 2012 vs. the Cubs.

ATTENTION: SPAN

Denard Span has hit safely in a career-high 20 straight games at a .410 (34-for-83) clip with five walks, three doubles, two triples, two homers, 14 runs scored and seven RBI. Span’s surge has raised his batting average from .258 to .282, just one point off his career average. Span’s 20-game streak is the longest active streak and tied for the third-longest streak overall in Major League Baseball this season (Cuddyer – 27, Ortiz – 27, Freese – 20).

Quietly, the Nationals have played their best extended stretch of baseball over the past calendar month, having won four-of-five, eight-of-12, 13-of-18 and 19 of their last 28 games. Unfortunately, the teams in front of them have continued to win as well, preventing Washington from closing any real ground in the chase for the final playoff spot. Entering the beginning of tonight’s four-game series in New York, Washington trails both Pittsburgh and Cincinnati by eight games in the standings.

There are 20 games remaining in the regular season, as the Nationals follow these four in New York with 10 more at home – against Philadelphia, Atlanta and Miami – then six final road games, three apiece at St. Louis and Arizona. That leaves their elimination number at 12 behind the Reds and 13 behind the Pirates, who have suddenly lost four straight. Washington will have to play the final 20 contests at least eight games better than one of those two clubs to continue their season into October.

NATIONALS LINEUP:

1. Denard Span CF

2. Ryan Zimmerman 3B

3. Jayson Werth RF

4. Ian Desmond SS

5. Adam LaRoche 1B

6. Wilson Ramos C

7. Tyler Moore LF

8. Anthony Rendon 2B

9. Gio Gonzalez LHP

ATTENTION SPAN

Denard Span has hit safely in a career-high 19 straight games at a .397 (31-for-78) clip with five walks, three doubles, two triples, a homer, 12 runs scored and 6 RBI. Span’s surge has raised his batting average from .258 to .279 on the season. The 19-game streak is the longest active streak in MLB and the longest by a National this season.

START ME UP

Wilson Ramos has started 16 consecutive games, the longest streak by a Nationals backstop (2005-present) and the fouth-longest streak by a MLB catcher this season. Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina paces that group (22 G, 4/20-5/14). During this stretch, Ramos has clubbed 3 homers and plated 11 RBI.

TURNING 40 SOON

With 39 in hand, Rafael Soriano is just one save away from becoming the third Nationals closer to record 40 saves in a season, joining Chad Cordero (47, ‘05) and Drew Storen (43, ‘11). Soriano eclipsed 40 saves with both the Rays (45, 2010) and Yankees (42, 2012).

If you had suggested, back in April, that a Nationals starter might throw six scoreless frames of four-hit ball in Miami in September, nobody would be surprised. If you called that starter out by name, and that name was Tanner Roark, the response would have been largely uniform.

Who?

But Roark, who has been one of the brightest spots on the Nationals staff since making his Major League debut on August 7, did exactly that Saturday night. In his first Major League start he worked ahead in the count and got quick outs, just as he had done in his nine previous outings out of the bullpen. When it was all said and done, he had lowered his ERA over his first 28.2 innings as a National to a head-turning 0.94.

When asked if Roark’s performance had earned him another turn in the rotation, Davey Johnson was quick to reply with one of his classic quips.

“He’ll make his next start,” said the Nats skipper. “I’m not that stupid.”

Roark’s dominance has been even more noticeable due to his ability to pitch ahead of batters and stay in the strike zone, leading to quick innings. On Saturday night, he needed just 71 pitches for his six frames, or 11.83 per inning pitched.

“Since he’s come up, everything he’s done has been impressive,” said Ryan Zimmerman, the offensive star of the contest, who homered in his first two at-bats and also turned in a couple defensive gems.

As for Roark himself, he carried the same quietly confident demeanor he has shown ever since entering the Nationals clubhouse back in August. And while even he has taken pause at how well the results have turned out, he’s just rolling with the punches.

“Yeah, I’m a little surprised,” he admitted of the early returns of his Major League career. “But I don’t want to change anything … Just keep attacking, going after guys. Make them swing.”

NATIONALS LINEUP:

1. Denard Span CF

2. Ryan Zimmerman 3B

3. Jayson Werth RF

4. Adam LaRoche 1B

5. Ian Desmond SS

6. Wilson Ramos C

7. Tyler Moore LF

8. Anthony Rendon 2B

9. Stephen Strasburg RHP

AT HOME ON THE ROAD

Ryan Zimmerman blasted a pair of home runs Saturday night, marking his second multi-homer game this season and the 12th of his career. Both of his multi-home run games in 2013 have come on the road, the other being a three-homer affair in Baltimore on May 29. Interestingly, 15 of Zimmerman’s 19 home runs this season (78.9%) have come away from Nationals Park, compared to 76 of his 153 career homers prior to this year (49.7%).

WERTH A LOOK

Jayson Werth collected three hits last night – his ninth three-hit performance this season – raising his batting average to .321 for the year. That currently ranks fifth in the National League, trailing only Andrew McCutchen (.322), Yadier Molina (.323), Michael Cuddyer (.328), and Chris Johnson (.332).

ATTENTION SPAN

Denard Span extended his hit streak to a career-high 18 games with a first-inning single and finished his night 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Span has batted at a .411 (30-for-73) clip over the streak, raising his batting average from .258 to .279. The outfielder’s 18-game streak is the longest active streak in MLB and the longest by a National this season.

Tanner Roark has found himself in the right place at the right time often in his first stint in the big leagues. He collected four wins in his first six appearances, all out of the bullpen. Of course, that isn’t to say he hasn’t earned the victories. The right-hander had allowed just three earned runs in 22.2 innings of work over nine outings, striking out 19 while walking just seven over that span. All of that led Davey Johnson to hand Roark the ball for his first big league start tonight in Miami.

In addition to his effectiveness, one other piece of statistical information stands out about Roark. He has needed just 313 pitches to record his first 68 outs as a Major Leaguer, a rate of 13.81 pitches per inning. The Major League leader among qualifying starters in that department in Cincinnati’s Bronson Arroyo at 14.13 P/IP, with Jordan Zimmermann leading Nationals starters at 14.54, seventh-lowest in the majors. Even with something around an 80-pitch limit tonight, if Roark can continue his efficient ways, he may still be able to give the Nationals five or six innings of work.

NATIONALS LINEUP:

1. Denard Span CF

2. Ryan Zimmerman 3B

3. Bryce Harper LF

4. Jayson Werth RF

5. Ian Desmond SS

6. Adam LaRoche 1B

7. Wilson Ramos C

8. Anthony Rendon 2B

9. Tanner Roark RHP

ATTENTION: SPAN

Denard Span has hit safely in a career-high 17 straight games at a .406 (28-for-69) clip with five walks, three doubles, 2 triples, a homer, 11 runs scored and 5 RBI. Span’s surge has raised his batting average from .258 to .278. The leadoff man’s 17 game streak is the longest active streak in MLB and the longest by a National this season.

20-20 VISION

Ian Desmond – via his 20-homer, 18-stolen bag effort so far – is on the cusp of posting the third 20-homer, 20-stolen base season by a National. Washington’s previous two 20-20 campaigns came from Desmond himself (25 HR, 21 SB) in ‘12 and Alfonso Soriano (46 HR, 41 SB) in ‘06.

SECOND HARVEST

A quick look at the Nationals’ 3 farm clubs taking part in the MiLB Postseason:

To this point in the season, Denard Span’s diving grab in deep left-center field at Nationals Park with two on and two out in the ninth on August 14 has been the signature defensive moment of the year. But Wednesday night in Philadelphia, the Nationals made not one, but two game-saving plays, with each coming from unlikely sources.

The Nationals had just scratched out a run in the top of the eighth to take a 3-2 lead, when, in the bottom half of the frame, the Phillies put runners at first and second with two outs. Speedy leadoff man Cesar Hernandez chopped a ball to the right side of the infield, which Adam LaRoche made a play for, but could not reach. Steve Lombardozzi was shifting to his left at a deeper angle and tracked the ball down on the lip of the outfield grass, but with LaRoche moving away from first, the only person left to cover the bag was pitcher Jordan Zimmermann. As the footrace to the base began, it became clear that if Washington couldn’t get the final out of the inning, John Mayberry Jr. was going to score the tying run from second. Zimmermann and Hernandez converged at first, as Lombardozzi’s throw came in low. The pitcher simultaneously found the bag with his right foot and picked the ball on a short-hop out of the dirt, beating the runner by a fraction of a step to end the frame.

Your browser does not support iframes.

“I was just hoping Lombo was going to hit me in the chest,” explained Zimmermann after the game, then took the chance to rib his teammate. “Instead, he threw it at my feet and made it interesting.”

As for the dig out of the dirt, Zimmermann credited the one man on the right side of the infield not in on the play, tongue still in cheek.

“I’ve gotta give a lot of credit to Rochey. He taught me everything I know.”

Even Zimmermann that he wasn’t looking at the ball all the way into his glove on the play, as the replay showed his head was “in the third deck” as he made the play. Craig Stammen, who would play a role in the second defensive gem of the night, wasn’t about to let his teammate off the hook so easily.

“I told him, ‘Nice play, you should have seen it,’” joked the right-hander, who came on to get the final two outs of the eighth.

Those two outs would come on the same play, but in truly unique, bizarre fashion. In fact, with all the baseball he’s seen in his 70 years on the planet, this one was new even to manager Davey Johnson.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever seen a double play that way,” he said.

With one out and runners at the corners, Stammen bounced a two-strike slider to Darin Ruf, who swung and missed for strike three. With a runner at first, Ruf could not attempt to advance, marking the second out of the frame. But the ball skipped away to catcher Jhonatan Solano’s left, with the runner, Chase Utley, breaking for home. Solano raced to corral the ball, in foul territory slightly up the third base line, but when he glanced up to see if Stammen was at the plate in time for the tag, he elected instead to try to make the play himself, diving towards Utley – who was diving toward the plate – and applying the tag to Utley’s midsection just before the runner’s hands crossed the plate.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Together, they formed two tremendous, non-traditional defensive gems, the first saving the go-ahead run from scoring and the second preventing the game-tying run from crossing the plate. They added up to a crucial victory, giving Washington the road series win in Philadelphia as they continue this crucial, three-city September road trip.

It wasn’t until this week that Jayson Werth finally amassed enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title, his name suddenly appearing in the middle of stat packs across the National League. Perhaps that’s part of the reason his season, at age 34, has flown under the radar to some degree. But if Werth can continue to stay hot over the season’s final three weeks, he may etch his name into the baseball history books.

Entering play on Wednesday night in Philadelphia, following his team-leading 40th multi-hit game of the season on Tuesday, Werth was batting .321, just nine points off the league lead, held by the Braves Chris Johnson. But back to those multi-hit games – Werth has only played in 106 contests this season, due to a few lingering, minor injuries early on. That means he has collected multiple hits in 37.73 percent of his games, trailing only St. Louis’ Matt Carpenter (39.85) in such a percentage among the National League’s top 20 in multi-hit performances.

Not a fan of batting average as a metric? Werth’s .396 on-base percentage ranks fifth in the NL, his .526 slugging percentage fourth. A mechanical change in his approach – lifting his hands higher, so that they don’t have to travel up, then down through his swing – has helped him shorten the time from decision to contact, and the results speak for themselves.

“I think he’s a better hitter than he was over here,” said Nationals Manager Davey Johnson, referring to Werth’s days in Philadelphia. “He’s as good as I’ve ever seen him.”

Since July 1, Werth is batting .367/.451/.607 over a span of 233 plate appearances. If he continued at that pace for the season’s final 24 games, he would get 100 more plate appearances and finish at .330 (actually .3297, or 153-for-464), almost exactly what Atlanta’s Johnson is batting today. It will be another race worth keeping an eye on over the season’s final few weeks.

NATIONALS LINEUP:

1. Denard Span CF

2. Ryan Zimmerman 3B

3. Jayson Werth RF

4. Adam LaRoche 1B

5. Ian Desmond SS

6. Wilson Ramos C

7. Corey Brown LF

8. Steve Lombardozzi 2B

9. Jordan Zimmermann RHP

I TOOK A WALK

The Nationals drew a season-high nine walks, two with the bases loaded, en route to their 9-6 triumph over the Phillies. Adam LaRoche accounted for three of the free passes, including the second of the back-to-back walks that scored runs.

ATTENTION SPAN

Denard Span has hit safely in a career-high 16 straight games at a .415 (27-for-65) clip with five walks, three doubles, two triples, a homer, 10 runs scored and five RBI. Span’s surge has raised his season batting average from .258 to .278. He is currently tied with Adam LaRoche, (May 2-19) for the longest hit streak by a National in 2013.

The Nationals staved off a sweep with a three-run eighth inning to complete a 6-5, come-from-behind win over the Mets to help them close back within 6.5 games of the final postseason spot with 26 games remaining in the regular season. Washington hits the road for a crucial 10-game swing through Philadelphia (3), Miami (3) and New York (4) beginning tonight. Stephen Strasburg and Cole Hamels match up in the series opener at Citizens Bank Park.

NATIONALS LINEUP:

1. Bryce Harper CF

2. Scott Hairston LF

3. Ryan Zimmerman 3B

4. Jayson Werth RF

5. Ian Desmond SS

6. Adam LaRoche 1B

7. Wilson Ramos C

8. Anthony Rendon 2B

9. Stephen Strasburg RHP

A WERTH-Y NAME ENTERS NL BATTING CHASE

After missing 28 games earlier this season due to a right hamstring strain, Jayson Werth finally appears among National League batting leaders. Werth’s .323 batting average currently ranks fourth in the Senior Circuit and trails only Michael Cuddyer (.328), Chris Johnson (.329) and Yadier Molina (.333).

ATTENTION SPAN

Denard Span has hit safely in a career-high 15 straight games at a .407 (24-for-59) clip with five walks, two doubles, two triples, a homer, eight runs scored and 5 RBI, Span’s surge has raised his batting average from .258 to .275. This marks the fifth double-digit hit streak of Span’s career. The longest streak posted by a Nationals player in ‘13: Adam LaRoche, 16 games (May 2-19).

BETTER BALL

At 17-11 (.607), the Nationals have the NL’s 3rd-best record in since August 1st…a closer look:

Due to ESPN’s selection for its Sunday Night Baseball telecast, the first pitch for tonight’s game will be at 8:06 p.m. The Center Field Gate will open at 5:30 p.m. In addition, Kids Run the Bases will not take place due to the later game time. Fans should plan their travel accordingly, keeping in mind that Metro’s last train to all stations will depart Navy Yard at 11:20 p.m.

NATIONALS LINEUP:

1. Bryce Harper CF

2. Anthony Rendon 2B

3. Ryan Zimmerman 3B

4. Jayson Werth RF

5. Ian Desmond SS

6. Wilson Ramos C

7. Tyler Moore 1B

8. Scott Hairston LF

9. Ross Ohlendorf RHP

ATTENTION: SPAN

With three hits last night, Denard Span extended his hitting streak to a career-high 14 games. During the streak, Span has hit at a .397 clip (20-for-53) with five walks, two doubles, two triples, a homer, seven runs scored and five RBI. This is the fifth double-digit hit streak of Span’s career and two games longer than his previous career-high, a 12-gamer accomplished while with the Twins from April 18-May 1, 2012.

GULF CHAMPS

After a record-setting regular season that saw them post a 49-9 record, the best mark ever by a stateside minor league affiliate, the Gulf Coast League Nationals swept through the playoffs, winning all three games en route to the title. They won their semifinal game 6-1 over the GCL Pirates on Friday, then beat the GCL Red Sox 10-3 and 7-2 over the past two days to win the best-of-three Championship Series.

20-20 VISION

Ian Desmond – via his 20-homer, 18-stolen bag effort so far – is on the cusp of posting the third 20-homer, 20-stolen base season by a National. Washington’s previous two 20-20 campaigns came from Desmond (25 HR, 21 SB) in ‘12 and Alfonso Soriano (46 HR, 41 SB) in ‘06.

The Nationals have won eight of their last 10, but dropped last night’s series opener to the Mets. Washington will look to get back into the win column tonight, as Dan Haren takes the mound. Haren is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA (4 ER/20.0 IP) over his last three home starts, including a 4-1 win over the Mets on July 27.

NATIONALS LINEUP:

1. Denard Span CF

2. Ryan Zimmerman 3B

3. Bryce Harper LF

4. Jayson Werth RF

5. Ian Desmond SS

6. Adam LaRoche 1B

7. Wilson Ramos C

8. Steve Lombardozzi 2B

9. Dan Haren RHP

IN THE HUNT

Now with enough plate appearances to qualify, Jayson Werth’s .325 batting average ranks third in the National League, behind just Yadier Molina (.330) and Chris Johnson (.326). Since July 1, Werth’s .380 average has paced the National League, while Victor Martinez (.391) leads the Majors.

ATTENTION: SPAN

By legging out an infield single in the eighth inning, Denard Span extended his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games. During the streak, Span has hit at a .377 clip (20-for-53) with two doubles, two triples, a homer, four RBI, six runs scored and five walks. This is the fifth double-digit hit streak of Span’s career. He has topped his previous career-high 12-game hit streak, accomplished while with the Twins from April 18-May 1, 2012.

OFFICIAL BLOG OF THE NATIONALS

Welcome to Curly W Live, the official blog of the Washington Nationals. With player interviews, special features and other unique, behind-the-scenes content, this is your exclusive window to all things Nationals all year round.

Meta

The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions.